Feliz Cumpleanos, Miles
by PoeticallyIncorrect1
Summary: Miles celebrates another birthday with a little help from his friends.


_**Feliz Cumpleanos, Miles**_

Miles switched off his computer and leaned back in the chair, stretching his cramped neck and shoulders; a sure sign he's spent too much time at the laptop again. With Frank and Stephen off on vacation and the rest of the team were doing, as Eva had put it, "Holding down the fort", things had been relatively calm. That suited him just fine; he could finally catch up on reading the medical journals.

So, when Natalie had suggestion that she and Eva take him out for lunch on his birthday, he had readily agreed. But now after seeing them this morning exchanging what could only be described as conspiratorial looks, he wasn't quite so sure it had been such a good idea. In fact he was beginning feel like the proverbial lamb being led to the slaughter. Both were clearly up to something and he wasn't sure he wanted to be the willing or unwilling participant in what ever they had in mind.

A glance at the clock and his own stomach grumbling told him that it was indeed lunchtime and he looked to the down awaiting his two teammates. He didn't have long to wait before he heard a knock on his door before it opened and Natalie's voice, "You all ready. Miles?"

"Yeah," he replied getting to his feet and reaching for the keys to lock the door. "So where are you taking me for lunch?"

"It's a surprise," Natalie replied. "I thought we could all take my car. We'll be coming back to the same place afterwards."

"Tell me, what has the birthday boy got planned for today?"Eva was asking as they headed for the exit.

"Not much. Find a good movie on TV and relax," Miles answered.

"Hardly the exciting evening," Eva commented as they all climbed in the car.

It didn't take all that long to reach the restraint and soon they were pulling into the parking lot of the one story building decorated with a Spanish motif.

Eva read the sign on the restraint door. "_El Camino Real_. Now I know that 'el camino' means the road but doesn't 'real' mean dirt?" Eva asked. She looked at Natalie. "What do they serve here? Road

kill?"

"Okay, that's it. I have now officially lost my appetite. A restraint called _The Dirt Road_? No, thank you," Miles stated.

"Eva, your Spanish is a little rusty. El Camino Real is literally translated The Road Royal. It's really a nice place to eat, Miles. Now come on. I'm hungry," Natalie told them as she found a spot in the parking lot.

"How'd you happen to find out this place?" Miles asked as they entered the building, Eva in front and Natalie behind him.

"I went here on a date when I actually had a social life," Natalie replied with a laugh.

Inside they were quickly escorted to a table in the non-smoking area and a server brought the complimentary basket of chips and hot sauce as well as the menus. Setting them on the table, he asked, "What would you like to drink?"

"I'll have iced tea with lemon," Eva decided and Natalie chose the same. Miles was trying decide it he wanted his usual coffee. Natalie looked over at him and said, "Have a margarita. You aren't driving."

Eva began humming _Margaritaville _while he looked over at Natalie and replied, ""All right. But it'll be damned embarrassing if I get asked for my ID again."

"Don't worry. We'll testify you're over twenty-one," Natalie told him.

"Even if you don't always look like it," Eva added.

"When was the last time you were out drinking?" Natalie asked him.

"Been awhile. Being asked for my ID gets a little tiresome. Half the times I think with it saying _Dr. Miles McCabe_ they're gonna think it's a bad fake. In fact one time I actually got refused service because of that." He looked over at the server. "I'll have a small margarita with a lime twist."

"I'll be back to get your orders in a few minutes," the young whose name tag said Marco, hurried away.

Natalie opened up the menu and looked over the appetizers. "I'll order some cheese sauce. It's really good mixed with the salsa. You want anything in particular, Miles?"

He picked up a chip and popped it into his mouth as he shook his head.

Eva was already looking over the menu deciding on her choice. "Those lunch fajitas sound absolutely yummy."

"This place have anything vegetarian besides the rice and beans?" Miles asked.

"They have a cheese and vegetable quesadia that I hear is pretty good," she answered as she looked at the meal selections.

"I think I'll have the quesadia and the guacamole salad," Miles decided.

Marco returned with their drinks and asked, "Are you ready to order yet?"

"Give us a few more minutes and meanwhile we'd like a bowl of cheese sauce," Natalie answered.

Marco promptly returned with the appetizer and waited patiently as they made finally selections. "This is all going on one ticket," Natalie told him. "I'll have the beef and nacho salad."

"I'll have a vegetable quesadia and the guacamole salad," Miles added.

"I'll have the lunch fajitas," Eva spoke up.

Natalie watched Marco write down the orders and hurry off. Reaching for the gift bag she'd carried in, she handed it to Miles. "Here. Frank wanted to make sure you got this," she said.

He took it and opened the card noticing that it had been chosen and addressed with Frank's usual teasing good humor. At the statement, _Just a little something to guarantee a hot time on your birthday," _he raised his eyebrows and reached into the bag to pull out a bottle of Frank's homemade top secret recipe hot sauce.

Eva glanced at the bottle and made a grab for the card, laughing at the statement. Yeah. That would certainly do it," she commented.

"And this is from us," Natalie spoke up handing Miles a card.

He opened it up and found a gift card for one of his favorite stores. "You didn't have to this. Lunch was enough," he told his friends.

"We thought about getting you membership to the "Medical Journal of the Month" club but figured you already had a life time membership," Eva joked.

"Just because I prefer to spend a lot of time reading," Miles began.

"Remember that all work and no play can make Miles a dull boy," Natalie interjected.

The food soon arrived and conversation ceased as they sat about enjoying their meal.

Miles had finished eating when he heard singing in Spanish and saw Marco carrying a purple and silver sombrero while another server carried a sopapilla heaped high with whipped cream and sprinkles. They were headed for their table. "This better not be what I think it is," he warned the two women.

Eva was busy rummaging in her purse for her digital camera. "Surprise," she told him.

The singing continued as the men approached the table and the sombrero was placed on Miles' head. The sopapilla was set in front of him and Marco took a spoonful of whipped cream and touch a little to each of the young doctor's cheeks, chin and tip of his nose before holding it out for him to take a bite. Miles having the feeling that his face was turning the same interesting shade of red as the shirt he'd chosen to wear, decided to just silently play along and get even with his friends later.

Eva had been discretely snapping pictures and as soon as the men had gone, she picked up a napkin off the table and tossed it him. "Here, wipe your face."

He managed to get the whipped cream off his face and turned to Natalie. "You _knew_ they were going to do that," he said accusingly.

She laughed and confessed. "Yes. I did. But, Miles, you should've seen your face," trying to control the giggles. Eva was allowing herself no such restraint.

"Here, you want some of this?" Miles asked, cutting the dessert into three pieces.

"I'll take some. But you can keep the whipped cream," Eva replied, dissolving into giggles again.

Miles looked from one to another and warned, "Just wait until it's your birthdays. He removed the sombrero and sat back to enjoy his dessert.


End file.
